1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to network communications, and more particularly to network data packet transfer.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the past, data has been directed to multiple network destinations by either sending data packets to multiple network destinations or by relaying data packets in a network by employing a series of embedded “header” words whose embedded bit fields direct the progress of a given packet through a series of intermediate destinations, or “nodes” in the network. In the latter case, when a given packet is received at a given node the current header is stripped off, shortening the packet and causing the next word to become the new header. Broadcast (i.e., sending the same packet to multiple destinations) complicates this process and may require even more control words to be inserted in each packet.